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Trevor Phillips, who used to work with Samir Shah back in the days of LWT, was delighted when his friend was appointed BBC Chair:  "If anyone can save the BBC, it is probably Samir Shah. He is a media entrepreneur and the first BBC chair to have built his own private sector business. He was once a journalist, then a programme-maker, and understands the distinction between reporting and campaigning, which many young journalists at the corporation seem to struggle with. He is a clear and rigorous thinker who knows how to run a meeting, according to those who have sat in many of them."

Unless Samir can comprehensively rebut the Prescott dossier, he may be writing a resignation letter on Monday.